All Legends Start From Somewhere
by Silent.Embrace
Summary: What kind of village would kill their own shinobi?" "Don't listen to her. That's just a legend." "YOU MEAN TO SAY THAT MY MOTHER'S DEATH IS JUST A LEGEND?"
1. Chapter 1

All Legends Start From Somewhere

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the songs from The Prince Of Egypt

* * *

There is a legend. A legend of villages that kill off their own ninja. Children decide to be ninja because they want to protect, but they don't know that when they become a certain age they will be killed by the very village they swore to protect. These villages are on the outskirts of known territory, beyond what any village has mapped. I know of one such village...

When they sign up to be ninja, they attend the academy, like all ninja villages. They are also assigned a shinobi 'parent'. After they graduate, they go to live with their shinobi parent and cut off all communication with their biological family. Their shinobi family is their only family now. When they become gennin, a tattoo goes on their back; the symbol of their shinobi family. They still have time to quit, but they aren't allowed to take missions that go outside the village territory. If they become chuunin before they turn nineteenth, their nineteenth birthday is tattooed below the symbol. That is their death day. If they try to quit now, they will be killed on the spot. Most chuunin don't quit. They want to enjoy the little time they have left. Now they can take missions outside the village territory into the main nations. They already know the truth and are already sentenced to death. There is nothing a trip outside can do...

Of course, these are just legends. All the kages disregard them. They disregard every so-called survivor of these purges. I wish they wouldn't. For it was I who sent them after I saved their lives...

* * *

5 Years Ago...

* * *

"Mikomi, come! We must get your brother out of Oujougakure!" I yelled as Mikomi and I ran to get back to the city. We weren't the only shinobi to be abandoning the defenses. Oujougakure was at war with another village like ours. Few of us foot soldiers knew why, but we didn't care. We just wanted to get our children out. I'm a shinobi parent at sixteen. Mikomi is my oldest. She's thirteen. She took and, unfortunately, passed the chuunin exams while I was on a three month mission. She hated the village when she learned the truth and would do anything to protect her brother.

"Kakumei!" A man yelled. I looked over to my left to see my brother running along side us. "There is a ship that is going to evacuate the civilians. We can sneak most of our children on that boat! The Oujoukage's goons are too busy protecting him to care about the ship!" he exclaimed.

"Can you be sure? Have you checked ahead of time?" I said anxiously. He nodded. I smiled at him and ran faster back to the city. My name was once Akari, but after I became a chuunin and learned the truth I decided to do everything to change our village. So my shinobi father gave me the nickname Kakumei. When he was killed, I had my named legally changed to Kakumei in his memory. Akari became my middle name. When we reached the city walls, we simply jumped them. No one was there to stop us. They were either fighting or trying to protect their children like we were. We bolted strait to the shinobi district and quickly bolted into our house. My son, Taishou, jumped up ready to defend himself. He sighed and relaxed when he saw us. Quickly, I grabbed a bag and started throwing his clothes into it.

"Okaa-san? Okaa-san, what are you doing?" Taishou asked. I refused to answer him. "Okaa-san!"

"Taishou! Don't you understand? We have to send you away on that civilian ship!" Mikomi exclaimed. Taishou rounded on her as I continued packing his stuff.

"Why?! I want to stay here with you! I want to help keep everyone safe!" He yelled. I zippered the bag shut and knelt before him.

"Taishou, I love you. More that you can know. You are still a gennin so you can leave. If I could sent Mikomi away as well, I would, but I can't. You need to go. I will not condemn you to the fate we are condemned to," I said, tears starting to run down my face.

"Okaa-san, I don't understand," He said. I pulled him close into a hug and pulled out a kunai when he couldn't see.

"If you stay in this city, it doesn't matter if you die in this war. You will still be sentenced to death as Mikomi and I are. I will not have you be killed by the same people you want to protect," I said quietly.

"Okaa-san... I don't want to leave you and Onee-san behind," He said as he started to cry.

"Yaldi hatov veh harach, Al tira veh al tifchad. My son, I have nothing I can give but this chance that you may live... I pray we'll meet again," I said softly as I slowly raised the kunai. "If He will..." Quickly, before I could doubt myself or my motives, I stabbed him at the base of his neck and just to his right of his spine. A blow that would knock him unconscious but not kill him. "Deliver us!" I cried as I caught his limp body. I tossed the bag to Mikomi and picked up Taishou. I sighed as I looked at her. "Let's go."

We ran out the door and headed towards the river, a half-mile to the east of town. The river would avoid the battle as long as it had stayed to the south of the city. I landed carrying Taishou among many other ninja carrying their own children who were still gennin. I took a look around and sighed when I found none of the Oujoukage's spies. He always had them around. Always had to make sure we weren't trying to oppose him. I quickly ran up to the deck of the ship and laid my son next to the other gennin we were sending away. I untied his head band and stuffed it into his bag so no one would know. I pulled out a letter from my back pocket and slipped it in as well. In it, I explained the truth about our village. About the death of my father. About the death of every true ninja this village has ever had. I kissed his forehead, then grabbed Mikomi and jumped off the ship.

"We have to go back to the battle. We cannot allow the Oujoukage to suspect anything," I said as I began to head back to the field. Mikomi did not follow. I turned around and looked at her. She was looking at the ship.

"Why can't we go?" she said quietly. I sighed and went over to her. I dropped down to my knees and hugged her.

"If we abandon our country, the tattoo on our back will kill us. You know this. If I could find a way, you would be going with him. But it's not possible and we need to get back," I said gently. She sighed and I stood up.

"I'll be there soon, I promise," she whispered. I nodded and headed back to the battle. I can trust Mikomi.

* * *

Mikomi's Point of View

* * *

After all the other ninja left, I watched the ship leave. It picked up speed fast and I started to follow it. I needed to know that my brother got out of the territory safely. When I reached the end of the river where it met with the sea, I sighed and smiled. The ship was free. My brother was safe...

"Brother, you're safe now. And safe may you stay, for I have a prayer just for you; Grow baby brother. Come back some day. Come and deliver us too," I whispered. I turned back and ran back towards the fight. Many of our shinobi were taking the offensive now that they didn't have to worry about their children. I watched in amazement as they took on our enemy. I've never seen them fight so... viciously! They were putting all their anger and rage at the Oujoukage into defeating the enemy. I was in awe... and angered. Patiently, I waited another hour until the fight was finished. We annihilated the enemy. Then I went down to my mother. "Okaa-san." She turned towards me and sighed.

"Where have you been?" she asked as she cleaned up her blade.

"I followed it," I said quietly. She froze. After a minute she set the blade down and stood up. After waiting another minute she turned to me.

"Do you have any idea how dangerous that was? If someone caught you, they could have figured out what happened to Taishou. You could have died!" she said. Suddenly she dropped to her knees and hugged me. "If anything had happened to you, I don't know what I would have done! I love you, Mikomi. Why would you do someone so risky?" She said as she cried.

"I had to make sure the ship got away. I had to see with my own eyes. It did. Taishou is safely outside our borders. The Oujoukage can't touch any of them," I said softly. Mother gasped and then tightened her grip around me.

"Thank you, Mikomi. Thank you so much," she whispered. I smiled. Mother stood up and smiled at me before going back to her scythe. I smiled as I watched her. Mother always put her heart into what she felt was right. Protecting my brother and I was what she considered to be her soul purpose. She always put us above herself. It probably has something to do with how each ninja was taught. I noticed some shinobi didn't evacuate their gennin students. They'd be asking questions tomorrow. And I'm sure their parents will simply look away. They aren't like Mother. Mother was taught to fight for what she believed in. They were taught to fight for the village, even if it means certain death. Mother believes in freedom and justice. It's only natural that she goes against the Oujoukage.

When Mother finished cleaning the blade, she stood up and slipped the strap over her shoulder. I think my mother is one of the most talented shinobi I've ever met and ever will meet. Very few ninja know how to fight efficiently with a scythe. Even fewer can get it off their shoulders in time to attack or defend themselves. My Mother can do it in the blink of an eye. No one knows where she learned to wield the scythe, only that she says someone named Hidan taught her when she was on missions outside the territory as a gennin.

I walked with Mother as the two of us, along with many other oujounin, headed back to town.

"Okaa-san?" I said quietly. She looked at me with a raised eyebrow. "Will we ever see him again?" I asked sadly. She sighed.

"I don't know. But I'm not worried about it. He's safe. He can live a normal life if he wishes it, or he can be a shinobi for another nation. Either way, he's going to live longer than he would here," She said gently. I sighed and looked at Oujougakure. We had reached it's walls now. There was once a time when I loved this village so much. Then I became a chuunin. When mother told me what had happened to me with the tattoo, I never saw things the same again. And now my brother was gone. Everything was changing so fast. And soon enough, I would lose mother too.

We walked into our house and mother went straight to her room. After a few minutes, I recognized her barely audible sobs. It wasn't easy for her to send my brother away. My mother doesn't just take care of her kids, like other shinobi. She loves us.

I went into my room and got ready for bed, ignoring the fact that the sun was actually rising. Those of us who had been at the front would probably spend the whole day sleeping. We hadn't had any sleep for the last three days. I barely noticed. After all, why put your heart in something that you don't believe?

Quietly, I climbed into bed and drifted into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

Definitions:

Mikomi - Hope  
Kakumei - Revolution  
Oujou - Death  
Akari - Brightness  
Taishou - Great Victory  
Yaldi hatov veh harach, Al tira veh al tifchad - My good and tender son, don't be frightened and don't be scared.


	2. Chapter 2

All Legends Start From Somewhere

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Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

* * *

"Mikomi!" I jumped at my mother's call. I looked around and realized I was in my room. Then I remembered what had happened yesterday. The battle. The ship. _My brother_. I took a deep breathe and forced myself to stop thinking about that. My mother needed me.

"Coming Kaa-chan!" I yelled back down. I climbed out of bed and stretched before running downstairs. Once down there I stopped when I saw the Oujoukage and one of his ANBU guards. I glared at them and resisted the urge to snarl. "What are _they_ doing here?!" I whispered through clenched teeth. The Oujoukage glared at me.

He turned to my mother and said, "If I were you, I'd raise your child with more respect." My mother smirked.

"If you were me, we wouldn't be here right now. Don't tell me how to raise my daughter **ever** again. I'm rather proud." She said smugly. I smirked. He glared at her and then looked at around.

"Where is your son?" He asked. My mother shrugged.

"I haven't seen him. It's possible he's dead due to that senseless battle or maybe he was too exhausted to get home. I intend to look for him as soon as I've eaten." She said. The Oujoukage looked at her suspiciously.

"You don't seem to be in that much of a hurry." He said. She glared at him.

"If you weren't here, I'd already be gone." She said daringly. The double meaning was not missed by anyone in the room. Then he turned to me.

"You, child. When did you last see your brother?" He demanded.

"Last night." I answered quickly.

"When?"

"A few hours before the end." I said. That was when we left him on the boat.

"And after that?"

"I don't know. We got separated and I haven't seen him since. After the battle, my mother sent me to bed. She said she'll look for him on her own. I was too exhausted to be any help anyway." I said quickly. My mother mouthed 'good girl' to me.

"What about now? Are you still too exhausted?" He asked. I rolled my eyes.

"I just woke up, I haven't eaten since _before_ the fight, and I'm only 13. What do you think?" I asked sarcastically with a smile. My mother started laughing. The Oujoukage turned back to her. He took a few steps towards her and her gaze hardened.

"Why won't you accept my offer? You would be such an asset. There are so few shinobi who can do what you do." He stated. I looked at my mother, confused. She glared at him.

"I am not a sell-out. I won't abandon my comrades to you. I won't abandon my comrades **for** you." She growled. He sighed and caressed her cheek. She immediately slapped his hand away and had a kunai to his throat, while the ANBU was immediately behind her with a kunai to her throat. "Touch me again and I do not care if your precious guards kill me. I will rip your heart out with my bare hands." She threatened. The ANBU's grip on my mother's neck tightened. She looked up at him annoyed. "Honestly boy, do you really think you could stop me?" She demanded. Suddenly, she had spun around and stabbed his face with the kunai to the point that the mask shattered, but did not harm the shocked ANBU beneath it. His mask fell to the ground in pieces. I gasped. He was older than most shinobi but he was still so young. He looked to be around twenty-two. He slowly put his arm down and backed away from my mother. She smirked at him. "If _either_ of you touch me again, you are dead. Sell-out!" She declared.

"Akari –" He was cut off by my mother slapping him across the face.

"You do not have the right to call me that. There are only two people who can call me that. One is dead and you are certainly not my brother!" She yelled. He looked her in the eye.

"My apologies, Kakumei." He said quietly.

"Are you two finished?" The Oujoukage asked. My mother glared at him.

"Yes. Now get out." She hissed. He glared at her for a moment before motioning to the ANBU to head towards the door. He stared at my mother for another moment before leaving.

"We'll head back to ANBU headquarters first. You need a new mask." He told the ANBU. The ANBU nodded and the two of them left. I looked back to my mother. She looked ready to rip her hair out. She smiled at me.

"I hate it when they do that." She mumbled. I smiled.

"What offer was he talking about?" I asked. She sighed and motioned for me to sit on the couch as she sat down. I sat next to her and faced her. She looked at me and sighed again.

"Sweetie, not all shinobi are as noble as us. Some of them have nothing to lose. Out of that group are some with exceptional skill and they catch the eye of either the ANBU or the Oujoukage. My skill with a scythe has caught their eye. When that occurs, those shinobi are given the option to join the ANBU. To them the ANBU is very appealing. ANBU don't die at nineteen. The jutsu on the tattoo expires when they join ANBU. I've been offered that." She explained. I looked up at her in shock.

"Kaa-san, take it!" I whispered. She glared at me and shook her head. "But kaa-san, being that close to the Oujoukage, you could… you… You could even _assassinate_ him!" I whispered. She sighed.

"I know that's how it looks, but think about it Mikomi. The Oujoukage is a paranoid, senile, old fool. He doesn't even trust a gennin. How could he not have some type of precaution against that very scenario?" She said. I started to say something, but then her words sunk in. I sighed and looked down. My mother smiled sadly at me and hugged me. "Believe me dear, I considered it. I knew how close I would be. I thought of everything, but I can't figure it out. Believe me dear, I already tried." She said softly. Then she stood up and started walking to the door. She looked over her shoulder at me. "Stay here. Eat something. I have to go while I can to warn the others that the Oujoukage is making rounds checking on missing children. Everyone must prepare their stories. I only have a few minutes until they are finished getting a new mask." She said. I nodded and then she was gone. I sighed and then went to get breakfast. It was hard to believe that some shinobi actually lived past nineteen. It… It was unreal! I sat down at the table with a bowl of cereal and began eating while I thought about it. The ANBU were the elite. They have the shinobi that serve directly under the Oujoukage. The only people that the Oujoukage does trust. Now, I knew that they also had some of the younger ones that should be dead. How were they being controlled? Was it possible that they were teamed up with one of the elder shinobi on every team? It made sense, but for most like my mother it wouldn't be a problem. But, she also said that they were the ones who had nothing to lose. They felt no ties to this village at all, except for the tattoo. I sighed and put my dishes in the sink. But that also brings up the question of the numbers on each side. Who were there because they were offered the spot and who were there because they were the Oujoukage's trusted ones? I sat on the couch and turned on the television. The news was on and they were reporting on the outcome of the battle. I watched with amusement as they spoke about the battle saying things we shinobi knew to be false. I smirked when I heard their excuses.

"I'm standing here on the remains of the battlefield where the fight was only finished early this morning. Certain parts of the field are still unopened to reporters due to possible hidden attacks. Apparently the story is there was a dispute between the Oujoukage and a neighboring village's leader and their leader took action against us. The most popular idea is that the two kages had a disagreement over some sort of alliance or deal and our neighbors took it too far. As many of you know, this battle had been going on for several days before our shinobi came out victorious. The number of dead and wounded shinobi have not been confirmed as of yet, but the projected amount is high. Many of the casualties appear to be young gennin just out of the academy and some of our chuunin. We are unable to determine the exact numbers now as most of our shinobi are at home getting their well deserved rest. We'll keep you updated as the information comes, this is Kanna Wasaki reporting, channel 12 news." The reporter finished. I scowled.

"Alliance dispute, my ass." I mumbled.

"What?" Said a very amused voice. I looked over. My mother had walked in the door just as I said that. I smiled.

"The news. They are convinced the fight was over an alliance dispute." I said sarcastically. My mother gave a dry laugh.

"Yeah. Alliance dispute, your ass." She said. I laughed as she went upstairs. She came back down after a minute and sat next to me on the couch.

"So, I thought about it and maybe they're controlling their ANBU by the way they make their teams. Maybe they have it set up so someone is constantly watching them for the Oujoukage. But that brings up the question of how many of each side are in the ANBU." I said quietly. My mother smiled.

"Very good Mikomi. I'm impressed with your observational skills. You've improved. Yes, I figured that out when I got the offer. Unless I knew the exact numbers, then it's too risky. However, I think I found a way to start getting to them without them having anything against me. But there is always the risk. I am asking you to help me knowing that we could get caught and sentenced to death immediately." She said. I looked at her and smiled.

"We're already going to die anyway." I said cheerfully. She laughed.


	3. Chapter 3

All Legends Start From Somewhere

Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

* * *

"Mikomi, wake up. Tonight's the night." My mother shook me awake. It had been a few weeks since the battle ended and the Oujoukage went looking for missing shinobi. I sat up and looked at the clock.

"Kaa-chan, it's one in the morning." I muttered quietly. She nodded and stared at me. I sighed and got out of bed. "So where are we going?" I asked sleepily.

"The graveyard." She said.

"Oh the- WHAT?!" I yelled. She turned and glared at me. I lowered my voice. "Sorry. But why are we going to graveyard?" I asked.

"Because children are easily frightened." She said. I looked at her strangely. Then I shook my head.

"That makes no sense, Kaa-chan." I mumbled. She smiled.

"It will. Now, let's go." She said and then walked out of the room. I quickly got dressed, strapped on my kunai pouch, and ran down after her. It was then I noticed that all the lights were off. When I got down there she handed me a glass of orange juice as she was finishing hers. I drank it and looked at her. She smiled and then motioned for me to remain quiet. I nodded. She opened the door and looked around. She silently slipped out into the shadows and I followed, closing the door behind me. She led me through the shadows to the side entrance to the shinobi portion of the graveyard. I looked around, confused. "Mikomi, I am going to teach you a jutsu to alter materials without touching anything. It only requires one hand sign, but you must be completely focused. Understand?" She whispered. I nodded. She smiled and made the sign of the horse. "Go to all the graves and find the ones that claimed they were older than nineteen when they died and alter the death date to their nineteenth birthday. At five thirty, come and find me and we'll leave before we get caught." She said. Again, I nodded. She nodded and left, headed to the other end. I walked down the row. The third one said he was twenty five when he died. I sat down in front of his grave and focused. I then made the horse sign and visualized his death day being his nineteenth birthday. As I did that, it felt as if my chakra was rushing out to wrap around the tombstone. It was strange. It was circling around the tomb and me. I sat there for a while until I felt my chakra stop moving around the tombstone. I opened my eyes and almost gasped. The death day had been changed. I never did anything except think. It made me wonder where my mother learned this jutsu…

* * *

By the time my mother came to get me, I had gone through an entire row of 'miss marked' graves. What I found most amazing was the amount of shinobi that died before they were nineteen.

"I think I understand you now, kaa-chan. If I had seen this when I had been in the academy or thinking about it, I never would have signed up for this. It's eerie. Unnatural. It gives me the shivers." I said quietly. She nodded.

"That's exactly what we are doing. I told you, children are easily frightened." she said. I looked up at her.

"Kaa-chan, what happens if we get caught?" I asked. She sighed.

"We'll be accused of treason, given an unfair trial, and most likely sentenced to death. I will do everything I can to avoid any of the blame being put on you. I am going to teach you how to lie during an interrogation. That way, I can say I put you under a mind-control jutsu and they'll believe you when you say you have no memory of helping me. We may have to change the story if it comes to that, but the idea is still the same. You are going to have to lie to the interrogator. Jinmon is very good at what he does. He has at least twenty years of experience. I have to teach you to lie to him." She said. At the end, she was more talking to herself than to me. I sighed, worried. She expected me to lie to an expert interrogator that worked right under the Oujoukage? What was she going to teach me now? When we got back to the house, she sent be back to be for an hour but I couldn't sleep. I was so worried. What if someone had seen us? What if I couldn't master lying? What if my mother gets arrested _today_?! I wouldn't be able to bear it. When my mother opened my door, I sat up and looked at her. She smiled at me. "Did you get any sleep at all?" She asked gently. I shook my head. Her smile grew as she walked over and hugged me.

"So what are we going to do today?" I asked.

"Well, I think I should teach you how to read body language. When you can read others, you'll be able to read yourself. Once you've mastered reading yourself, you'll be able to manipulate your body into saying 'I'm telling the truth' while you lie straight to Jinmon's face. We'll take is slow. Today I am only going to cover the basics of the face. Then, you should have them memorized by this afternoon so we'll go out for lunch at some busy restaurant and try them out. Up for that?" She asked. I smiled and nodded. "Alright, let's go down stairs and eat then." She said as she stood up. I stretched and got out of bed. Shortly after, I found myself down stairs. She had made pancakes! I took a few bites before turning to my mom.

"So how hard is it to read people?" I asked with a mouth full of pancakes. My mother looked at me, annoyed. I swallowed my food. "Sorry." I mumbled. She smiled.

"It's actually very easy. You probably know a lot of it all ready, you just need to learn to understand it and manipulate it. First, we'll cover the head. Now, when someone tilts their head, it's usually out of sympathy. When a woman does it with a smile it can mean she's flirting. You do that all the time, Mikomi. Now, this can also mean they are trying to convince you of the truth. The difference is in how much the person tilts their head. If a woman is flirting, she's going to tilt her head a whole lot more than if she's simply telling the truth. Got all that?" She explained.

"I think so." I said before I took a sip of my juice. I put the glass back down and looked at her. "Tilts can mean sympathy, flirt, or honesty." I summarized. She nodded.

"Now eyes are literally the window to the soul. There is very little that they can hide. When someone is lying they either never look into the other's eyes or they look constantly. Someone who is truthful will look for a little while and then focus on something else. They will repeat this periodically as they speak." She said. She stopped talking and looked at me. I guess, that was my queue to summarize.

"Truthful people look into the other's eyes and then somewhere else over and over again." I said. She smiled.

"Now, if someone is looking to the side, it means they feel guilty. If they look to the upper right, it means they are remembering and telling the truth. If they look to the upper left, it means they are making something up." She said.

"Side, guilty. Right, truth. Left, lie." I said as I kept eating. Mother laughed.

"Alright. The last thing I'll tell you about today is something that is very difficult to master. Jinmon will probably disregard this part since you are a shinobi. They are called microexpressions. Microexpressions are facial expressions that flash on a person's face for a fraction of a second and reveal the person's true emotion underneath their facade. We shinobi are taught to avoid this entirely, but it's good to read incase you ever encounter someone you are working with who is trying to deceive you. It's the same as everything else, but faster. Since shinobi are trained to hide their emotions, I would expect Jinmon to disregard that category." She said. I nodded.

"So, how are we going to practice?" I asked.

"We'll start you off with some movies that I am very familiar with that I know you've never seen. When you can successfully read the main character in one of the movies on the first try for the whole movie, we'll go out and try it with real people." She said. I pushed my dishes away and smiled.

"Let's get to work!" I said cherrfully.

* * *

**A/N – **All that stuff about reading body language is completely true as far as I can tell. I did some research online and that is the beginning of what I found. If you choose to try it in real life, use caution as some people have habits that look like a sign of deceit, but are really just them. The better you know them, the better you will be at reading them. However PLEASE USE CAUTION! The best way to use caution? DON'T READ PEOPLE UNLESS YOU ARE TRAINED TO!


End file.
